Antipsychotic Medications Prescribed At High Levels In Nursing Homes

Although clinical studies have shown that antipsychotic medications provide only limited benefits with multiple associated risk factors, the medication continues to be doled out at nursing homes in large quantities. In fact, these potentially dangerous drugs are so common that one recent study found that nearly one quarter of nursing home patients received at least one antipsychotic prescription.

The year-long study examined prescription-dispensing records of a nationwide, long-term pharmacy. During the course of the study, records were analyzed for nearly 1.5 million patients. Of the patients studied, 22% were found to have been prescribed antipsychotic medication during the term of the study.

Perhaps most incredibly, the study showed that long-term patients rarely received just one prescription. Of the patients whose data was available for a three month period, the median number of antipsychotic prescriptions was 10.

If you feel that you or a loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse, including the unnecessary prescription of antipsychotic medications, please contact the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld P.A at 954-677-0155.